3 6 



PERCHING BIRDS. 



briskly up and down on its perch as if dancing. The bell-like note of the 

 male is followed by an impetuous scream from the female, and the dance ends. 

 Another species, the common Argentine cow-bird (M. bonariensis) of La Plata, 

 when courting, puffs out his rich violet plumage, and, with wings vibrating, 

 emits a succession of deep internal notes, followed by a set song in clear, ringing 

 tones ; and then suddenly taking wing he flies straight away, close to the surface, 

 fluttering like a moth, and at a distance of twenty to thirty yards turns and flies 

 in a wide circle round the female, singing loudly all the time, hedging her in with 

 melody as it were." 



Red-shouldered The bill in this genus is about as long as the head, stout at the 



starling, etc. base, and tapering rapidly to an acute point ; while the wings are 



pointed, and the tail broad. Black associated with red or yellow is the predominat- 



RED-SHOULDERED STARLING (| nat. size). 



ing colour of fche male birds, but the females are more soberly attired. Several species 

 are found in Central and Southern America, while others are peculiar to the United 

 States. The type of the genus is the red-shouldered starling (Agelceus phceniceus), 

 a bird commonly distributed throughout temperate North America, and especially 

 abundant among the marshy tracts of the Eastern States. It nests in reeds and 

 bushes near the ground or in a tussock of grass, building a bulky nest of coarse 

 fibrous materials, such as strips of rushes or marsh grass. The eggs are pale 

 blue, dotted and blotched with dark markings. In autumn this bird becomes 

 highly gregarious, thronging in the grain-fields, where it does much mischief. 

 The male is lustrous black, with the lesser wing-coverts scarlet, broadly bordered 



